Silver Bell
by Shadow Strabi-star22
Summary: People mysteriously vanish, zombies and Chains popping up to cause destruction isn't exactly the lifestyle. Oz must travel to the heart of the matter with Alice and Gil. He meets a young blind shaman who holds the hope for humanity in her palms. They must travel across infested lands and solve the mystery behind the virus. Their only enemy is a someone who was suppose to be dead.


**A/N**: Hello everyone, hopefully you are having a restful holiday. Unfortunately, your dear author has gotten an allergy problem-wipes nose with a tissue-and probably won't upload as quickly as possible. Just wanted to say that I will be gone on hiatus for a few days so, Happy New Years! Please enjoy this new story!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Pandora Hearts belongs to the rightful owner.

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**Chapter 1: The Beginning of the End**

_ "When there's no more room in hell, the dead will walk the Earth…."_

_ -Dawn of the Dead_

A silver bell laid desolated on the floor, its silver effulgence soiled by the yellow grains of the desert sands. It laid inside a run-downed building, whose inside walls were aligned with cracks made from the might of the whirling dust devils. A town once filled with boisterous citizens now stood silently, its' silhouette acting like a phantasm to caravan travelers who walk past. They report strange apparitions floating through walls and ghastly footsteps leaving tracks in the sand. No one knows exactly what had happened. This strange phenomenon left the government executives bewildered so they sent ambassadors to oversee the matter. No sooner had they sent out their ambassadors, reports started coming back that they are MIA. Search planes started to circle through the skies in hopes of getting a glimpse of the town but there was none. It was like it vanished into thin air. Nearby towns tell stories about a particular person who walks the streets at night. Its footsteps were hallow against the granite pavements and the scent of death grew stronger by the minute. By morning, the sound is gone and the smell evaporated. The only evidence that someone was there last night were the words scribbled on the side of a building in red: The end is near.

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_Vessalius Dukedom home…..._

"It says here that there is a mysterious event happening somewhere in this world." A middle-aged man spoke, his eyes scanning the newspaper before him. "People disappearing and not a trace of their remains are found. Strange sounds, the smell of death and words written in blood only perks my interest in this ominous circumstance. What do you think Oz?"

"What are you talking about Uncle Oscar?" A young boy asked, looking at his uncle curiously with his emerald eyes. "There's no such thing as mirages and ghost people. Whoever wrote this article is a little crazy."

"Don't be so sure Oz." Oscar placed the newspaper on the table and carefully sipped his coffee. "I have heard about these rumors and some of my closest friends had friends that are missing in action. Surely this incident is inching closure and closure, spreading across the land." He lets out a rough laugh. "Well that's just my speculation. Hopefully you don't need to worry about it."

"Sir." The door opened and a maid bowed slowly. "There is a strange man standing outside the gates. He wishes to meet you."

"Very well." Dismissing her, Oscar quickly left the room to meet his guest and left Oz in the room playing with a stuffed animal bunny. He soon spotted the young man leaning heavily against the gate, his messy brown hair covered up his eyes. His clothes, depicting that of a traveler, barely covered his malnourished body. The soles of his shoes were worn out. Hearing the gate slowly opening, he slowly lifted his head and stared at Oscar.

"How may I help you sir?" Oscar asked, clearly not liking the vibe he got from the man in front of him. The mysterious guest rose to his feet and stumbled toward Oscar. He barely got halfway before he stumbled forward. "Hey! Are you all ri-?!" Oscar paused mid speech, feeling the man's teeth digging into his neck.

"Groaggh." The man's non-human word was overshadowed by the sound of blood flowing out of his victim's neck.

"AIIEEEE! Master Oscar!" A couple of servants rushed forward and tried to dislodge the man from Oscar. Hearing a large commotion outside, Oz walked to the window and propped it open. Immediately the stench of death wafted in and the young master quickly covered his nose.

_What the hell? Where is this smell coming from? _He walked to the window and peered out. The scene below him held him in place. Oscar's teeth was currently gnawing a servant's arm while other servants tried to get him to let go. Oscar's eyes were wide and blood started to run from his eyes. Oz noticed the corpse of another man, a huge dent in his cranium gave away the answer to his death. Knees knocking together softly, Oz quickly left the room and rushed outside.

"Uncle Oscar!" He called, seeing his uncle rip the poor servant's arm from his body. The man yelled in pain as others rushed him to the medical facilities. Hearing his name being called, Oscar's body froze and he turned his head toward Oz. Shuffling forward, he approached Oz and opened his mouth, blood dropping from his jaws.

"Young Master, please go back inside!" A maid rushed forward, grabbing Oz's arm and dragging him inside before Oscar lunged forward, arms outstretched. Oz watched as some of the servants barred his uncle's way, watching him fight them off one by one. The maid led him deep into garden, breathing heavily because of the running.

"Are you alright young master?" She looked at the boy, noting his glazed eyes and trembling hand.

"W-what's happening? Do you know?" He looked at her. Without a word, she led him deeper into a secret passage. At the end, they came upon what looks like a grave, the glittering cross acted as a marker for the dead.

"There isn't a lot that I know of, young master." The maid spoke. "What I do know is that this catastrophe won't stop until everyone is affected. I already ordered someone to come and take you away, far away from this place." Oz had his eye trained on a pocket watch that hung loosely on the cross, the crest of the Vessalius Dukedom family was etched on top. Reaching up, Oz pulled the item towards him and opened it, revealing the ticking arms of the clock. A soft melody came from the watch and Oz felt something weird. The feeling disappeared and he looked around wildly, noticing that he was the only one who felt it.

"There you are Oz! Are you alright?" A voice shouted and Oz saw his best friend Gil running towards him. Gilbert Nightray is Oz's best friend and loyal servant. He rushed back to the house from grocery shopping when the maid sent for him. He panicked when he notice the destruction Oscar created. Bodies of the servants laid completely still, most of them had their throats ripped out.

"Gil!" Oz leaped into his friend's arm. "What happened to Uncle Oscar? What is going on?" Before Gil could answer, the three of them heard ragged breathing from the tunnel. The shuffling of feet accompanied the breathing and Oz knew that there was no return from his family.

"Gilbert, please take the young master out." The maid rushed forward, placing herself between the dead and the living.

"But-"

"No buts. Oz has to live! Out of everyone here, we are the only ones left. He has the blood of the Vessalius running through his veins. Please Gil!"

"….All right." Gilbert solemnly bowed and rushed off, Oz safely clutched in his arms.

"No! Gil you have to go back!" Oz cried out before he noticed the maid going down beneath a pile of zombies, her arm sticking out limply before being eaten.

"Don't look!" Gil shouted, knowing that Oz was watching the frenzy intently. "I know it's terrible but we need to escape from here. Her sacrifice will not be in vain, I promise." Oz clenched Gil's shirt tightly, whimpering. The life he once knew suddenly turned upside down in a heartbeat.

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_Abyss…..._

The moment Oz opened the pocket watch, its sweet melody traveled down into the other world. The Abyss exists in a different dimension as the world, and as thus, time doesn't truly exist in the Abyss. A person can find themselves in any random time period upon exiting the Abyss, though usually the person is transported forward in time.

"Such a nostalgic noise…" A girl spoke, her long hair floating behind her as she looked up. "It seems to be calling out to me…." She immediately felt her shoulders tense and the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. A strong scent bombarded her nose and she snarled to herself. It was a scent that the Chains within the Abyss knew and feared. She felt the distress from the others around her and she peered out into the darkness.

"It can't be…..I thought they halted that production years ago." She frowned. "It seems like this world is on the verge of being corrupted. If this problem isn't solved, the entire human race is doomed."


End file.
